By Eric Forman
A top-five battle will take place at Clifton Park as Aberfeldie plays host to Keilor.
The Blues have been in ominous form with eight consecutive wins, two huge wins over Essendon Doutta Stars and Strathmore their most recent performances.
Mick McGuane's men sit one game behind Strathmore in top spot and will look to keep the pressure on with another win here.
Aberfeldie kicked itself out last week's one-point loss to Deer Park and sit one game clear inside the five.
It was an Aberfeldie win when these sides met in Round 2 thanks to a late Will Brkic goal, although Abers did find four more scores from 11 more entries throughout the game.
Jack Brown was unstoppable in that game for Keilor with a season-high 14 clearances.
The midfielder has been incredible since returning full time recording at least 25 disposals in all but one game, and at least five clearances in every game.
He'll be one for the Aberfeldie midfield to be conscious of, however they have weapons of their own in there in Matthew Williamson, Matthew Weber, and Ethan Hunt, who were all terrific in the earlier meeting.
Thoese three helped Aberfeldie record 17 scores from stoppage, a clear advantage in the Round 2 contest.
Can Aberfeldie cause another upset, or will Keilor make it nine in a row?
Pascoe Vale will be hoping to maintain its spot in the top three when it heads to Section Road to play Greenvale.
The Panthers snapped a two-game losing streak in their 52-point win over Hillside last week.
The Jets are on a two-game losing streak of their own following comfortable defeats against Strathmore and Maribyrnong Park.
Pascoe Vale enjoyed a 27-point win when these sides met in Round 2, Tyson Scoble leading the way with 20 disposals and five goals.
The game was at arm's length for most of the contest but the Panthers controlled it, something they'll be hoping to do again.
The ruck battle will be an interesting watch with Matty Dennis and Todd Goldstein taking on Liam Podhajski and Riley Leedham.
It was a clear hit out win for Pascoe Vale earlier in the year that resulted in 20 more clearances for the game.
A win for Pascoe Vale maintains its separation in double chance territory that could expand pending other results.
While for Greenvale, percentage has it out of last spot, if a win can't be achieved, the margin will need to be kept down.
An important clash looms at Hansen Reserve with Airport West taking on Maribyrnong Park.
The Eagles currently occupy last spot on percentage following five consecutive defeats.
The Lions returned to form with two wins in a row seeing them one game out of the top five.
These sides last met in Saturday night action at Monk Oval in Round 2 with Marby controlling most of the game to run out 39-point winners.
Scott Clarke (three goals) was a major reason the Lions took control with the Eagles unable to stop his presence inside forward 50.
Rory Atkins was also superb and is coming off a 36-disposal and four-goal game.
Matt Hanson and Ned Gentile continue to be the two most important Eagles averaging a combined 55 disposals and 16 clearances per game.
Giacomo Thomas has also made an impact since debuting for the club against Hillside with six goals from two games and will be one to watch up forward.
If Marby wants to play finals, these are the games they need to be putting away to stay right in the mix.
For Airport West, it'll need to reduce the damage if it can't get the win.
It'll be seventh against eighth as Deer Park heads to Shark Park to take on Hillside.
The Lions find themselves two games and percentage out of finals, while the Sharks are a game behind them and two games out of the relegation battle.
It was a gritty 12-point win for Deer Park when these sides met in Round 2 with the Lions owning possession and the contest.
Jackson Barling (25 disposals, four goals) and Mark Galea (32 disposals, three goals) proved hard to stop, as did Kwame McHarg (33 disposals, seven clearances) and Anthony Anastasio (32 disposals, one goal).
If Deer Park's stars combine, it should produce a similar result to its wins over Strathmore and Aberfeldie.
But Hillside won't make it easy having been more than competitive in a lot of its matches.
Daniel Barker is coming off consecutive four-goal games and will be a point of difference to the previous meeting between these sides.
Can the Sharks take another scalp, or will the Lions keep their finals hopes alive?
The bookends of the current top five will meet at Lebanon Reserve with Strathmore taking on Essendon Doutta Stars.
The Mores enter in top spot but have lost two of their last three, a 74-point defeat at the hands of Keilor their most recent outing.
Douttas have won three of their last four sharing a heavy defeat against the Blues a couple of weeks ago.
Strathmore won the Round 2 meeting with Essendon Doutta Stars by 26 points.
Matthew Allison and Alex Tonelli kicked six of Strathmore's 12 goals that day, but with VFL commitments entering the equation, the forward line may look different.
Regardless of that, ball security will be a high priority for Douttas with the Mores kicking 83 per cent of their score from turnovers.
Up either end sits important players for each side: Dylan Laurie for Douttas and Liam Cavanagh for Strathmore.
The two players are intercepting machines that find plenty of the ball to create out of their defensive halves, so matchups or plans for either will be an interesting watch.
By Eric Forman
It'll be second against third to kick off Round 13 as Oak Park heads to DS Aitken Reserve to play Craigieburn.
The Eagles have won their last four games including two close wins against Rupertswood and Moonee Valley most recently.
The Kangaroos have won their last five games but also escaped with a close win in their last game by two points against Tullamarine.
It was a 10-point win for Oak Park when these sides met in Round 4 at JP Fawkner Reserve.
The Kangaroos controlled the clearance and territory battles with Josh Hotchkin (23 disposals, 53 hit outs, and nine clearances) a major factor.
He'll go up against the undersized Nathan Stewart and will look to find the advantage there, although Stewart was able to get to work at ground level with 10 clearances in that game.
Brodie White will no doubt garner some attention after gather 25 disposals and kicking three goals in that matchup.
A win will create separation on the ladder with both sides sitting on 40 points.
Tullamarine will be hoping to stay in the top five when it heads to Lionheart Reserve to play Taylors Lakes.
The Demons have dropped their last three and sit in fifth on percentage, while the Lions snapped a four-game losing streak last week against East Keilor.
It was a 29-point win for Tullamarine when these sides met in Round 5 with the Demons boasting 14 more scoring shots than the Lions.
Sal Melilli was dominant with 31 disposals, eight tackles, six clearances, and three goals, while Tom Jackson also kicked three.
Josh Covelli and Lachlan Rayner didn't suit up for either side in that game and will add a different element this time around.
Can the Lions string consecutive wins together for the first time this season, or will the Demons get back to winning ways?
Kings Park Reserve will see St Albans host West Coburg.
The Burgers have been dominant and will be the favourites to maintain its game separation on top of the ladder.
It was a 125-point domination when these sides met in Round 5 with 14 players hitting the scoreboard.
High scoring has been a staple of West Coburg this year with Ibby Taha (38 goals) and Jesse Martini (35 goals) particularly dominant of late.
The Saints have leaked the second-most points this season, can they find a lift to reduce the gap here?
Rupertswood will stay at Salesian College and await Avondale Heights.
The Heights sit outside the five only on percentage after winning its last outing by 68 points against St Albans.
Rupertswood has lost four in a row but was able to welcome back Luke Sultana last week, with Sean Hetherington named in the squad but not featuring.
The pair were strong in the last meeting with the Heights alongside Jackson Cardillo but couldn't stop the Heights in a 26-point loss.
Bailey Williamson was dominant out of the back half with 47 disposals, 11 intercepts, and 11 rebounds.
Nathan Foster was the ultimate difference with seven goals, and after kicking a goal in every game this season, he'll be one to stop.
Closing out Round 5 will be the clash between East Keilor and Moonee Valley at Overland Reserve.
The Valley won by 150 points when these sides last played in Round 4 with Mitch Clarke kicking seven.
The Cougars will want to reduce the gap this time around, but Moonee Valley should be too strong.
A Moonee Valley win and a Craigieburn loss will see it return to third, however an Oak Park loss will likely keep it in fourth.
By Evan Tudor & Jake Reeves
Sunbury Kangaroos will look for a fourth-straight win when it heads to Keilor Park Drive for a clash with Keilor Park.
The Kangaroos will head into the contest in the favourable position to walk away winners, but the Devils won’t be giving up without a fight.
Keilor Park hasn’t tasted victory since Round 4, which happened to be a 10-point control over the Kangaroos.
That result will be something that fuels the Devils’ fire in the lead-up to Saturday.
The green and orange will look to draw upon usual outstanding efforts from Jai Bahnert (who averages 27 possessions a game and had 36 when his side last faced the Roos), Luke Kilty (who hauled four goals last weekend), and Nick Nesci (who had a club-leading 33 disposals last weekend).
But will Sunbury Kangaroos simply prove too strong?
Knocking on the door of a finals berth, the Kangaroos hold a 6-6 record, and will take any and every win from now on to help get them there.
The Roos are riding their season-best run of three-straight wins.
Mitch Kook has been a standout in the winning run with 97 disposals from the last three matches.
Mitch Streiff has had two consecutive weekends of scoring double and slotted three goals in Round 4’s clash with the Devils.
Will the Devils break their losing streak, or will the Kangaroos finals push continue?
Burnside Heights will come up against East Sunbury in an interesting matchup at Tenterfield Drive.
The Bears came up against a dominant Coburg Districts outfit last week and went down by 59 points.
The Thunder faced crosstown rivals, Sunbury Kangaroos, and fell short by 12 points in a great battle at John McMahon Recreation Reserve.
Burnside Heights did a have a major positive to come out of last week’s defeat as they dominated hit outs and contest in and around the footy, Lachlan Evans a big factor.
East Sunbury had a lot of their footy on the outside in the clash with the Kangaroos last week but were lacklustre in the contested side of the game where the game was there to be won.
Roxburgh Park has an opportunity to take a big scalp when it takes on Westmeadows at Lakeside Reserve.
The Magpies currently sit fifth on the ladder with a 6-6 record and have two straight wins under their belt after a strong 31-point triumph over Hadfield last weekend.
The third-place Westmeadows were on the wrong side of the ledger last Saturday, going down by 13 points at the hands of Glenroy, its three-game winning streak put to an end.
How the Magpies and Tigers carry across momentum into this contest will be an interesting watch.
When the two outfits last met in Round 4, it was Roxy who took a seven-point win over Westy, with some big goal scorers on display for both sides.
Teronne Roberts-Potter and Shaun O’Grady both scored four goals for their respective sides and lead their clubs’ goalkicking tallies with an equal 31 majors, and are tied fourth in the division.
The Tigers will do everything it takes to win the footy on Saturday.
Westmeadows is number one in the league for average intercept possessions (80) and intercept marks (18), with the Tigers using their turnover abilities to own more control of the Sherrin.
Roxburgh Park will draw upon specialties of its own to get ahead.
The Pies rank second in the league for hit outs, with Ryan Micaleff the icing on the cake with averages of 30, and a season-best of 59 back in Round 10.
Hayden Farrelly has been hot in driving the ball inside 50 across his past two matches and will look to combine for scores with Roberts-Potter.
Both sides could walk away victorious on Saturday, so it’s just a matter of waiting it out to see how it all plays out.
Coburg Districts is set to host the Northern Saints at Cole Reserve.
Districts are off the back of 12 consecutive wins and are currently undefeated in their 2026 campaign and just knocked off Burnside Heights by 59 points in a comfortable win at home.
The Saints have risen from the bottom of ladder after a huge comeback last weekend against Keilor Park, being 27 points down late in the third quarter to be 26-point victors, a huge statement to the league and how no team should be taken lightly in this competition.
Districts have been by far the best handballing team in the competition, with a lot of their possession coming by hand, which was on display last weekend where the Districts had 60 more handballs than Burnside Heights.
Abdul Halim Khodr and Ezzat Haddara were enormous in the come from behind win last weekend over the Devils with both players getting 10 clearances each, with Haddara racking up 35 touches to go along with it.
A top four clash will close off Round 13 at Sewell Reserve as Glenroy and Hadfield meet.
Glenroy are eyeing off top of the table from its position of second rung, riding on a seven-game winning streak.
The Roys boasted a full team-effort last weekend, combining for 10 goals from 10 individuals. It is some talent like that which will put the Hawks’ backline on notice.
Hadfield (fourth) would want to cement a finals spot as quickly as possible after dropping its past two matches post a six-game winning run.
It shapes up to be a strong contest between two strong finals contenders, but whoever makes the most of their inventory should prevail.
Strong goalkicking talents will set up base at both ends of the field, with Hadfield’s Mohammed Moustafa continuing to rain down majors, kicking six against Glenroy in Round 4.
Jake Polizzi and Sam Godden continue to be major ball-winners, with disposal averages of 35 and 34.
Godden even had 43 possessions when the Hawks and Roys clashed earlier this year.
The Roys’ Mark Sabatino will be the target for the men in red and white.
With a league-leading clearance ability, Glenroy will look to win the football into attacking 50 and zone in on Sabatino, someone who hasn’t missed goal all year and averages three each week.
Either side could take the chocolates here, and what we know is that a victory would route the winner onto the path of a finals ticket.
When these sides last met in Round 4, it was Glenroy who sung the song after a 34-point victory.
THIS WEEKEND’S FIXTURES
ABERFELDIE v KEILOR
Saturday 2:15pm at Clifton Park
GREENVALE v PASCOE VALE
Saturday 2:15pm at Greenvale Recreation Reserve
AIRPORT WEST v MARIBYRNONG PARK
Saturday 2:15pm at Hansen Reserve
HILLSIDE v DEER PARK
Saturday 2:15pm at Hillside Recreation Reserve
STRATHMORE v ESSENDON DOUTTA STARS
Saturday 2:15pm at Lebanon Reserve
CRAIGIEBURN v OAK PARK
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Saturday 2:15pm at DS Aitken Reserve
TAYLORS LAKES v TULLAMARINE
Saturday 2:15pm at Lionheart Reserve
ST ALBANS v WEST COBURG
Saturday 2:15pm at Kings Park Reserve
RUPERTSWOOD v AVONDALE HEIGHTS
Saturday 2:15pm at Salesian College
EAST KEILOR v MOONEE VALLEY
Saturday 2:15pm at Overland Reserve
COBURG DISTRICTS v NORTHERN SAINTS
Saturday 2:15pm at Cole Reserve
BURNSIDE HEIGHTS v EAST SUNBURY
Saturday 2:15pm at Burnside Heights Recreation Reserve
KEILOR PARK v SUNBURY KANGAROOS
Saturday 2:15pm at Keilor Park Recreation Reserve
ROXBURGH PARK v WESTMEADOWS
Saturday 2:15pm at Lakeside Reserve
GLENROY v HADFIELD
Saturday 2:15pm at Sewell Reserve
